Stargurl80's Blog

I'm friends with a girl who is ultra liberal. She fits the stereotype of the corduroy wearing, animal rights supporting, anti-capitalist vegan perfectly. I really enjoy having her around because we have these deep, philosophical conversations for hours. We do butt heads a lot, but we try to listen to each other with an open mind. However, last week we had a pretty intense argument.

Since it is the holidays, I've been doing a lot of shopping. In addition, since I'm not made of money, I've been buying the bulk of my gifts at Wal-Mart, Target and websites like BestBuy.com and Circuit City. My friend, Samatha, then went on a bit of a tirade about how we shouldn't support these "corporate giants". She said that it is better to support the little guys instead of big franchises, even if you have to spend a little money.

Now, I have to be totally honest with you, I am all for people making a living.  I do go to some smaller businesses if they have what I'm looking for, but most of the time I will go to these bigger chains.  I know that stores like Wal Mart make it tough for smaller business to compete, but I have to look out for myself.  If I can buy something a Target for $20 and buy it at a smaller store for $35, I'm going to buy it at Target.  I don't think these large franchises are evil, and I'm not going to be one of these people who refuse to "buy franchise".

I can respectfully disagree with my friend here, but I'm not going to spend more money to support the little guy.  If smaller stores are going to charge more money (which I can understand), they have to have something to make up for it.  You have to compete in the American market, and if you can't do it by price, then do it by variety, customer service, return policy etc.

Although I am in relatively good shape (or so I'd say), I still have a massive appetite. Sometimes I amaze my friends at how much I can eat even though I'm so little. I was lucky (or unlucky if you see it that way) to have parents who are amazing cooks, and I've been eating their delicious meals since I've been small. However, I've had to employ some appetite control tactics in the last few years to stop myself from gaining a massive amount of weight. I think appetite control is 90% mental and 10% physical, you can definitely stop overeating by focusing. Here are three tricks that I employ to keep my appetite under control.

Eating plain, bland veggies

I love vegetables because they are one of the only foods that you can eat as much as you want and still feel good about yourself.  However, people like to dress up veggies with fatty sauces and dressings.  If you really want to curb your appetite, eat raw, plain veggies between meals and even with meals.  I always have celery, baby carrots and broccoli with me because I'll munch on it between meals to curb hunger.  Do I enjoy doing this?  Absolutely not.  Does it work?  100% yes.  Try eating 20 baby carrots in an hour and see how hungry you are at your next meal.

Drinking lots of water

Drinking water has so many health benefits, I can't even begin to list them.  Everything from body detox and colon cleanser to better skin and more energy comes from drinking water.  One of the unsung benefits of drinking water is its ability to sap hunger.  I learned this piece of advice early on:  "Whenever you're feeling hungry, drink water".  Will water satisfy you as much as a cheeseburger?  Heck no.  But if you get the will power to do this, it can really change your diet.  For this same purpose, I have water with every single meal to fill me up.  I'd rather be filled up with water than cheesecake!

Eating off of smaller plates

It's amazing how easy it is to manipulate your brain.  It's a funny thing because needs and desires can be so strong, yet there are some simple things you can do to make you think differently.  One of these is eating off of smaller plates.  Think about it...put a serving of pasta on a small plate and it looks like a good sized meal.  However, put that same serving on a full sized dinner plate, and it tricks your brain into thinking that it isn't going to be enough.  Since serving size is so important, you have to present your food this way.

This is a big pet peeve of mine, no pun intended. There are a lot of people out there that want pets because they like the idea of having a cute, cuddly companion around. I can't fault them for that, it is a good reason. Pets make great companions and definitely add to your quality of life. However, there are a few things to think about before you make the leap into the pet owning world.

First off, you have to make sure you have time and patience to give your pet it's due care. Whether its a dog, cat, rabbit, gerbil, bird or pretty much any other animal besides a simple goldfish, there is a great deal of responsibility that comes with it. You have to constantly read up on pet care, pet information and anything else that has to do with the well being of your pet.  In addition, you have to have the time to care for your pets and the money to buy them what they need.

A pet is not something to be taken lightly.  I know you're a 21 year old girl who just got out college and is living in an apartment and you want a cat, but there are some things to think about.  Are you going to have time to care for your pet with your hectic work schedule?  Are you allowed to even have a pet in your apartment, and if you are can you afford the extra security deposits?  This is only a sample of what you have to think about when considering a pet.  So do all of us a favor and only take on the responsibility of a pet if you are sure you can handle it.

When it comes to fashion, I am almost obsessive compulsive with matching my outfit.  Nothing makes me feel better than knowing the inner lining of my coat matches my purse.  While there are many people out there who think these small things don't matter, I am a stickler for details.  If I don't match, I feel like I look ridiculous.  This goes with clothing and accessories.

However, in my outfit matching conquest, I have come to a crossroads.  Myself and my friends have debated this point for the last month or so.  Do you match your socks to your underwear or your outfit?  Furthermore, do you march your underwear to your outfit?  I know some of my friends don't even match their underwear, which makes me shudder at the thought!

I personally try to match my socks and underwear to my outfit, but sometimes I like to keep the bottom layer all matching.  If one part of my first layer is black, it will all be black!  Let me know what all of you think about socks and underwear matching.

I've been hearing a lot about these body detox foot pads. Not only do I see the TV commercials and magazine ads, but I've heard quite a bit about these on the internet. Much like most other body detox regimens, these foot pads have fallen under quite the scrutiny.  There seems to be testimonials online that support these foot pads, and many that expose them as a fluke.

I've debated trying these, seeing as they aren't really that expensive.  I always try to use something before making any kind of recommendation or assessment about it.  From what I've read online, these pads supposedly remove heavy metals, toxins and other garbage out of your body through the skin in your feet.  The ingredients used are vinegar and tourmaline.

I will pick these up when I get a chance and use them in conjunction with other body detoxes like colon cleanses, saunas and steam rooms and see how everything shapes up.  I will get back to all of you guys.